The Compass Rose
by Oliviax3
Summary: She was a princess from the East until the invaders of the West stripped her of her title and her people of their lives. Then she met him, who was from somewhere she had never known, who invaded her heart--Mel/Jared-- Their story in a fantasy universe.


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**_The Compass Rose_**

She was a princess, in red silk from the East until the invaders of the West stripped her of her title and her people of their lives. Raiding food, she met someone who was from somewhere she had never heard of before, who invaded her heart. [Melanie/Jared] Their story in a fantasy alternate universe.

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_ It Seemed as If The sky Was Stained_

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She pretended that the pack that she carried in her arms was heavy, that it weighed on her body and caused her steps to slow. She imagined that it was filled to the brim with exotic fruits and moist meats. She dreamed that whatever she took from it, it would instantly be replaced and that magic would keep it so full.

She pretended she wasn't hungry as she handed her brother the last of the stale and molding bread.

"Here," she said, veiling the protests of her stomach with the warm feeling that filled her heart as he took the piece hungrily, young hands extending and fingers reaching for food that would not satisfy him like magic would. The warmth disappeared and a blistering wind whipped the nape of her neck.

He shivered. Her name slipped through his lips as he chewed roughly, then he asked, "When can we go home? I'm cold."

_Home_. The word tickled her and then pierced her.

Home was south; a palace nestled in the soaring mountains of their kingdom. Home was their family, all together again, laughing in the banquet hall as they were raising their wine goblets with smiles.

Their last piece of home was tucked away and hidden in her pack that was empty, like their memories were. He deserved the truth, but her young brother had enough of the truth.

He, the heir to the throne, had seen his people suffer, taken, and killed with his own eyes that had only seen nine years. He had heard his sister, the princess of the realm, crying to herself as she slept and she _never_ cried, and will probably never cry again.

He had felt the truth as he walked, the snow seeping with red and splintering his feet with cold. He had tasted it on his tongue, swallowing nothing but emptiness when his stomach desired so much more.

He smelled the smoke, carried by the wind, as he began to fall asleep.

So she lied, "Soon."_ Never, our home is no longer ours._

He smiled lightly and genuinely, causing her to wince in a new found pain, but she could not help but offer him a sad smile of her own. His eyelids fluttered dreamily and then closed as she fondled the locks of his long tousled curls to soothe him.

When she convinced herself that he was really sleeping, she reached in the dark for her pack. Finding it, she quietly delved her hand into it, reaching for their piece of home. Her fingers brushed against it and her body shivered.

The small fragment of their home used to be her dress, one of the finest that she owned. It was made of soft, glimmering material like silky marble and it sparkled like shaved diamonds had been sprinkled above it.

Her mother used to tell her stories of the people of the sun, who could capture the rays of delicate light with their hands. That was where the fabric came from, she remembered, touching it softly. Even in the still darkness, she could see faded sparkles.

But the color was red, dyed with the crimson feathers of a phoenix whose plumes drip with liquid fire, and perfumed with petals of roses that had been melted into a soup of fragrance.

She remembered a time when her life was as smooth as the fabric that she held in her hands. Now, her life was torn and ragged. There was a time when her life smelled so alive, like the roses. Now all she smelled was smoke.

She remembered a time when her life was as warm and passionate as the ruby red, now all that surrounded her was cold and unforgiving snow. There was a time when her eyes used to glisten with happiness and naivety, now her eyes were dull and large in her gaunt face.

She remembered a time when her skin shone like bronze, contrasting vividly with the blood red of the dress. Now her skin was sallow and dry with the wind.

Her stomach erupted into a fierce snarl and she coiled her arms around her torso, hoping that the loud sound would not wake her sleeping brother. He was a deep sleeper, but still, his sleep counted more than her eating.

But she needed food. This was her fourth day without it and if she did not survive, who would take care of her brother? No one. So packing away the fabric that she cradled in her hands, she stood, gave him a chaste kiss on his temple, and then left into the empty darkness of the night.

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_This is rough. I'm not sure what I want to do with it (I might delete it) But I wanted to upload something regardless of the fact that it is definitely not amazing. _

_I want this to be a continuing story, but there's a problem: I have no idea where I'm going with this.I've never written in an AU before (alternate universe) so this will be hard. If anyone wants to help me... I would be very grateful. Whether its beta reading or just coming up with ideas for the coming chapters. I'm also thinking of writing a collection of oneshots of Mel/Jared in AU. Because there's no Mel/Jared.  
_

_Please tell me what you think and...  
_

**Please Review!**


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